#compulsion — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #compulsion, aggregated by home.social.
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El tiempo se expande cuando eliminas el feed de las redes sociales
Después de tres semanas sin aplicaciones de redes sociales en el teléfono —Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn— llegué a una conclusión simple: el tiempo se expande cuando eliminas de la ecuación las visitas constantes a los reels, videos y feeds infinitos. No borré mis cuentas; solo eliminé el acceso directo desde el móvil. Sigo entrando desde el computador para ponerme al día, revisar mensajes o dejar un «like» a amigos y familiares, pero eliminé la posibilidad de estar atento en tiempo real a las novedades que ofrecen los feeds.
La compulsión sigue ahí, aunque las apps no estén
Lo primero que aprendí es que la facilidad de acceso es el corazón del problema. Al quitarla, aparece algo evidente: existe una compulsión de tomar el teléfono cada vez que surge ansiedad, temor, aburrimiento o ganas de procrastinar. Incluso sabiendo que las aplicaciones no están instaladas, la mano va al teléfono igual. Ese gesto automático revela un hábito arraigado que moldea la conducta.
Varias veces tomé el teléfono sin un objetivo claro, solo para calmar una inquietud interna. La ausencia de redes deja en evidencia que el impulso no viene del contenido, sino de la necesidad de regular emociones. Las redes sociales se aprovechan de esa compulsión: ofrecen un alivio rápido, pero superficial.
Con el tiempo entendí que el alivio nunca estuvo en el scroll. Cuando desbloqueas el teléfono y no encuentras la app, descubres que esa calma momentánea era falsa: los problemas siguen afuera. «Entendí que el alivio tampoco venía de ahí.» La dopamina del scroll no resuelve nada; solo tapa.
Por eso me propuse una meta concreta: «que el acto de voluntad para entrar sea todavía más difícil que el acto de salir.» No se trata de tener más fuerza de voluntad en el momento, sino de diseñar el sistema —sin apps, sin acceso directo— para no necesitarla.
El vacío inicial es una oportunidad
Cuando eliminas las redes, aparece un vacío que antes llenabas con estímulos. Ese vacío, lejos de ser incómodo, se transforma en oportunidad. «Ese vacío se transforma en oportunidades para hacer cosas diferentes.» Es el inicio de la presencia.
Al no perder minutos en videos sin sentido, surge espacio mental real. «Ese espacio libre aparece y puedes poner foco en lo que realmente te interesa.» Ese tiempo lo he usado para actividades más terrenales: pasear, aprender, conversar, leer, ejercitarse, almorzar atento a la conversación.
La ansiedad persiste, pero se vuelve manejable. La compulsión por ver likes, noticias o reels no desaparece de inmediato, pero deja de gobernar la conducta. «No he bajado del todo ese nerviosismo persistente… pero sí noto que tengo más tiempo disponible.» La necesidad de revisar el teléfono se vuelve visible, y por lo tanto, trabajable.
También descubrí que la presencia mejora cuando el celular sale de la mesa. Un gesto simple cambia la calidad de la experiencia. «Dejar el celular lejos de la mesa del comedor… ayuda a estar presente.» La distancia física crea distancia mental.
Lo que más ha costado
Controlar la necesidad de conectarme. Incluso sin apps, aparece el hábito de buscar scroll en YouTube o Instagram web. «Abrir el navegador y buscar algún tipo de scroll.» La compulsión migra; hay que vigilarla.
Salir cuesta más que entrar. «Salir cuesta más que entrar; es un acto que se siente casi violento.» Esto demuestra que el problema no es la red social: es el circuito de recompensa.
La versión web, por suerte, es menos adictiva. «El contenido que aparece en la versión web es menos adictivo.» Esa incomodidad permite mantener un uso mínimo y consciente. Incluso ahí noto matices: entrar a Facebook es solo costumbre, aburrimiento puro; entrar a Instagram tiene un motivo puntual —saber de amigos y familiares—, y el resto ya no me interesa. Cuando el impulso tiene nombre y apellido, es mucho más fácil ponerle límite.
La tentación con un teléfono nuevo
Cambié a un nuevo teléfono móvil. Apenas lo encendí sentí la tentación de reinstalar las redes sociales, con la excusa de «aprovechar la potencia del equipo». Pero la potencia real de un teléfono nuevo está en otra parte: grabar video, tomar fotos, mezclar música, correr juegos, almacenar rápido. Para redes sociales, en cambio, da lo mismo el equipo que se use. Ese momento confirmó lo que había aprendido la primera semana: el problema nunca fue el contenido ni el dispositivo, fue tener la puerta abierta.
Lo que entendí al final
No necesitas saber todo al minuto. «No es necesario saberlo al minuto. Menos tensión.» Ese dato urgente no suma nada a mi vida; solo quita tiempo. No necesito enterarme de inmediato de accidentes, robos, choques o incendios: igual termino sabiendo porque alguien lo comenta en una conversación. Digo «no lo sabía» y listo. No pasa nada. La urgencia informativa es una ilusión creada por el algoritmo.
Mirando hacia atrás, después de tres semanas, veo con claridad que las redes moldean comportamientos artificiales. «La gente hace cosas extrañas para responder a las reglas ocultas del algoritmo»: fotos de playa todos los días aunque estén trabajando, sonrisas permanentes como si la vida fuera una vacación eterna. La prueba más clara la vi de lejos, una madrugada de semana: alguien se levantó a la una de la mañana a grabar un auto incendiado y chocado, le puso un logo de «Noticias» y narró el video como si fuera un reportero. Todo ese esfuerzo, a esa hora, por algo que se podía ver al día siguiente sin ninguna pérdida. Esa presión invisible empuja a actuar de maneras que no existirían sin ella, y que tampoco elegiría si me detuviera a pensarlo. Al final, la lección no fue dejar de usar redes sociales, sino recuperar el control sobre cuándo y cómo entrar en ellas. El tiempo que antes se filtraba en scrolls de tres minutos —repetidos veinte, treinta veces al día— hoy aparece como un bloque disponible: para leer, para entrenar, para estar presente en una conversación sin revisar el teléfono por debajo de la mesa. Ese es el hallazgo central de estas tres semanas: el tiempo no se administra mejor a punta de fuerza de voluntad, se expande solo cuando eliminas la fricción que lo consumía sin que lo notaras.
Tu voto:
#adicción #algoritmo #ansiedad #Atención #autocontrol #bienestar #celular #compulsión #conciencia #desconexión #digital #Disciplina #dopamina #foco #hábito #hábitos #mindfulness #minimalismo #presencia #productividad #redes #Reflexión #scroll #tecnología #tiempo -
El tiempo se expande cuando eliminas el feed de las redes sociales
Después de tres semanas sin aplicaciones de redes sociales en el teléfono —Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn— llegué a una conclusión simple: el tiempo se expande cuando eliminas de la ecuación las visitas constantes a los reels, videos y feeds infinitos. No borré mis cuentas; solo eliminé el acceso directo desde el móvil. Sigo entrando desde el computador para ponerme al día, revisar mensajes o dejar un «like» a amigos y familiares, pero eliminé la posibilidad de estar atento en tiempo real a las novedades que ofrecen los feeds.
La compulsión sigue ahí, aunque las apps no estén
Lo primero que aprendí es que la facilidad de acceso es el corazón del problema. Al quitarla, aparece algo evidente: existe una compulsión de tomar el teléfono cada vez que surge ansiedad, temor, aburrimiento o ganas de procrastinar. Incluso sabiendo que las aplicaciones no están instaladas, la mano va al teléfono igual. Ese gesto automático revela un hábito arraigado que moldea la conducta.
Varias veces tomé el teléfono sin un objetivo claro, solo para calmar una inquietud interna. La ausencia de redes deja en evidencia que el impulso no viene del contenido, sino de la necesidad de regular emociones. Las redes sociales se aprovechan de esa compulsión: ofrecen un alivio rápido, pero superficial.
Con el tiempo entendí que el alivio nunca estuvo en el scroll. Cuando desbloqueas el teléfono y no encuentras la app, descubres que esa calma momentánea era falsa: los problemas siguen afuera. «Entendí que el alivio tampoco venía de ahí.» La dopamina del scroll no resuelve nada; solo tapa.
Por eso me propuse una meta concreta: «que el acto de voluntad para entrar sea todavía más difícil que el acto de salir.» No se trata de tener más fuerza de voluntad en el momento, sino de diseñar el sistema —sin apps, sin acceso directo— para no necesitarla.
El vacío inicial es una oportunidad
Cuando eliminas las redes, aparece un vacío que antes llenabas con estímulos. Ese vacío, lejos de ser incómodo, se transforma en oportunidad. «Ese vacío se transforma en oportunidades para hacer cosas diferentes.» Es el inicio de la presencia.
Al no perder minutos en videos sin sentido, surge espacio mental real. «Ese espacio libre aparece y puedes poner foco en lo que realmente te interesa.» Ese tiempo lo he usado para actividades más terrenales: pasear, aprender, conversar, leer, ejercitarse, almorzar atento a la conversación.
La ansiedad persiste, pero se vuelve manejable. La compulsión por ver likes, noticias o reels no desaparece de inmediato, pero deja de gobernar la conducta. «No he bajado del todo ese nerviosismo persistente… pero sí noto que tengo más tiempo disponible.» La necesidad de revisar el teléfono se vuelve visible, y por lo tanto, trabajable.
También descubrí que la presencia mejora cuando el celular sale de la mesa. Un gesto simple cambia la calidad de la experiencia. «Dejar el celular lejos de la mesa del comedor… ayuda a estar presente.» La distancia física crea distancia mental.
Lo que más ha costado
Controlar la necesidad de conectarme. Incluso sin apps, aparece el hábito de buscar scroll en YouTube o Instagram web. «Abrir el navegador y buscar algún tipo de scroll.» La compulsión migra; hay que vigilarla.
Salir cuesta más que entrar. «Salir cuesta más que entrar; es un acto que se siente casi violento.» Esto demuestra que el problema no es la red social: es el circuito de recompensa.
La versión web, por suerte, es menos adictiva. «El contenido que aparece en la versión web es menos adictivo.» Esa incomodidad permite mantener un uso mínimo y consciente. Incluso ahí noto matices: entrar a Facebook es solo costumbre, aburrimiento puro; entrar a Instagram tiene un motivo puntual —saber de amigos y familiares—, y el resto ya no me interesa. Cuando el impulso tiene nombre y apellido, es mucho más fácil ponerle límite.
La tentación con un teléfono nuevo
Cambié a un nuevo teléfono móvil. Apenas lo encendí sentí la tentación de reinstalar las redes sociales, con la excusa de «aprovechar la potencia del equipo». Pero la potencia real de un teléfono nuevo está en otra parte: grabar video, tomar fotos, mezclar música, correr juegos, almacenar rápido. Para redes sociales, en cambio, da lo mismo el equipo que se use. Ese momento confirmó lo que había aprendido la primera semana: el problema nunca fue el contenido ni el dispositivo, fue tener la puerta abierta.
Lo que entendí al final
No necesitas saber todo al minuto. «No es necesario saberlo al minuto. Menos tensión.» Ese dato urgente no suma nada a mi vida; solo quita tiempo. No necesito enterarme de inmediato de accidentes, robos, choques o incendios: igual termino sabiendo porque alguien lo comenta en una conversación. Digo «no lo sabía» y listo. No pasa nada. La urgencia informativa es una ilusión creada por el algoritmo.
Mirando hacia atrás, después de tres semanas, veo con claridad que las redes moldean comportamientos artificiales. «La gente hace cosas extrañas para responder a las reglas ocultas del algoritmo»: fotos de playa todos los días aunque estén trabajando, sonrisas permanentes como si la vida fuera una vacación eterna. La prueba más clara la vi de lejos, una madrugada de semana: alguien se levantó a la una de la mañana a grabar un auto incendiado y chocado, le puso un logo de «Noticias» y narró el video como si fuera un reportero. Todo ese esfuerzo, a esa hora, por algo que se podía ver al día siguiente sin ninguna pérdida. Esa presión invisible empuja a actuar de maneras que no existirían sin ella, y que tampoco elegiría si me detuviera a pensarlo. Al final, la lección no fue dejar de usar redes sociales, sino recuperar el control sobre cuándo y cómo entrar en ellas. El tiempo que antes se filtraba en scrolls de tres minutos —repetidos veinte, treinta veces al día— hoy aparece como un bloque disponible: para leer, para entrenar, para estar presente en una conversación sin revisar el teléfono por debajo de la mesa. Ese es el hallazgo central de estas tres semanas: el tiempo no se administra mejor a punta de fuerza de voluntad, se expande solo cuando eliminas la fricción que lo consumía sin que lo notaras.
Tu voto:
#adicción #algoritmo #ansiedad #Atención #autocontrol #bienestar #celular #compulsión #conciencia #desconexión #digital #Disciplina #dopamina #foco #hábito #hábitos #mindfulness #minimalismo #presencia #productividad #redes #Reflexión #scroll #tecnología #tiempo -
Writing revives the self yet demands the self’s surrender
From Mari Ruti’s Reinventing the Soul loc 3786:
Writing comes as a liberation that is also a compulsion; it revives the self, yet it also demands the self’s absolute surrender; it invades even as it gives life. Writing, in Cixous’s rendering, requires the self to yield to a force outside of itself that speaks its meaning through the trembling body of the one who is being urged to swell to a size of a prophet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n74g5mqQ2tI&t=915s
#compulsion #drives #MariRuti -
Has Technology Ever Reduced Labor?
Has technology ever reduced labor? The question sounds rhetorical. We carry small computers that answer any factual query in seconds, our laundry tumbles itself clean while we sleep, our cars drive themselves on highways our great-grandparents traveled by mule. Of course technology has reduced labor. The question barely needs asking. […]https://bolesblogs.com/2026/05/26/has-technology-ever-reduced-labor/
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Has Technology Ever Reduced Labor?
Has technology ever reduced labor? The question sounds rhetorical. We carry small computers that answer any factual query in seconds, our laundry tumbles itself clean while we sleep, our cars drive themselves on highways our great-grandparents traveled by mule. Of course technology has reduced labor. The question barely needs asking. […]https://bolesblogs.com/2026/05/26/has-technology-ever-reduced-labor/
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Iowa lawmakers are on a mission to trick students into caring about intellectual freedom by forcing them into mandatory classes, because nothing says "freedom" like #compulsion. 🎓🤔 Expect enrollment to spike with all the excitement of a DMV line! 🚶♂️🚶♀️
https://www.kcrg.com/2026/05/20/iowa-lawmakers-move-mandate-students-take-center-intellectual-freedom-classes-amid-low-enrollment/ #IowaLawmakers #IntellectualFreedom #Education #StudentEngagement #DMVLine #HackerNews #ngated -
Iowa lawmakers are on a mission to trick students into caring about intellectual freedom by forcing them into mandatory classes, because nothing says "freedom" like #compulsion. 🎓🤔 Expect enrollment to spike with all the excitement of a DMV line! 🚶♂️🚶♀️
https://www.kcrg.com/2026/05/20/iowa-lawmakers-move-mandate-students-take-center-intellectual-freedom-classes-amid-low-enrollment/ #IowaLawmakers #IntellectualFreedom #Education #StudentEngagement #DMVLine #HackerNews #ngated -
#israel #palestine : #gaza / #genocide / #blockade / #globalsumudflotilla / #internationallaw / #humanitarianaid / #blockaderunner / #compulsion
(Law before power, not power before law!)
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#israel #palestine : #gaza / #genocide / #blockade / #globalsumudflotilla / #internationallaw / #humanitarianaid / #blockaderunner / #compulsion
(Law before power, not power before law!)
See also:
„Israel seizes Global Sumud Flotilla boats 1,000km away from Gaza“
https://aje.news/qp71pj„Israel intercepts Gaza aid ships in international waters, organisers say“
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/israel-intercepts-gaza-aid-ships-in-international-waters-organisers-say -
Throughout 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15, #Paul emphasized again and again how #Christians should give #cheerfully and not #reluctantly or under #compulsion.
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Throughout 2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15, #Paul emphasized again and again how #Christians should give #cheerfully and not #reluctantly or under #compulsion.
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Let them hate me, so long as they fear me.
[Óderint, dum métuant.]Accius (170-c. 86 BC) Roman tragic poet, literary scholar [Lucius Accius, Lucius Attius]
Atreus (fragment 168) [tr. Kline (2010)]More about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/lucius-accius/20033/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #accius #cicero #seneca #suetonius #caligula #compliance #danger #despot #fear #hatred #leadership #lifeanddeath #threat #tyrant #terrorism #coersion #obedience #compulsion #power
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#lebanon #india : #middleeast / #warzone / #airlines / #employees / #dangerofdeath / #compulsion / #union / #protest
„Pilots from Lebanon to India have voiced “widespread” concerns they could face sanctions if they do not fly in often unpredictable conditions where airspace can close with little notice due to missile or drone strikes, according to the head of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (#IFALPA).“
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/airline-pilots-fear-retribution-over-refusing-to-fly-in-middle-east-aviators-group-says -
#lebanon #india : #middleeast / #warzone / #airlines / #employees / #dangerofdeath / #compulsion / #union / #protest
„Pilots from Lebanon to India have voiced “widespread” concerns they could face sanctions if they do not fly in often unpredictable conditions where airspace can close with little notice due to missile or drone strikes, according to the head of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (#IFALPA).“
https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/airline-pilots-fear-retribution-over-refusing-to-fly-in-middle-east-aviators-group-says -
Having gone to a 10 day #Vipassana retreat, I recognize that the #technique gives me the #sensitivity and the tools to work on my #adhd.
1. I am aware of #anxiety popping up where I would not have noticed it, before.
2. I can observe my #focus getting twitchy because of my anxiety, trying to find #peace somewhere.
3. I can prevent it latching onto random thoughts.
4. I can redirect my focus to #consciousness, #balance and my #body.This retrains the #compulsion into a me that I enjoy more ❤️🩹
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Having gone to a 10 day #Vipassana retreat, I recognize that the #technique gives me the #sensitivity and the tools to work on my #adhd.
1. I am aware of #anxiety popping up where I would not have noticed it, before.
2. I can observe my #focus getting twitchy because of my anxiety, trying to find #peace somewhere.
3. I can prevent it latching onto random thoughts.
4. I can redirect my focus to #consciousness, #balance and my #body.This retrains the #compulsion into a me that I enjoy more ❤️🩹
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A quotation from Wendell Berry
The rule, acknowledged or not, seems to be that if we have great power we must use it. We would use a steam shovel to pick up a dime. We have experts who can prove there is no other way to do it.
Wendell Berry (b. 1934) American farmer, educator, poet, conservationist
Essay (1968), “The Loss of the Future,” Religious Humanism Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 47More about this quote: wist.info/berry-wendell/16987/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #wendellberry #action #compulsion #power #utilization
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A quotation from Wendell Berry
The rule, acknowledged or not, seems to be that if we have great power we must use it. We would use a steam shovel to pick up a dime. We have experts who can prove there is no other way to do it.
Wendell Berry (b. 1934) American farmer, educator, poet, conservationist
Essay (1968), “The Loss of the Future,” Religious Humanism Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 47More about this quote: wist.info/berry-wendell/16987/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #wendellberry #action #compulsion #power #utilization
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[en] Haidt: dramatic global decay in cognition, attention spans, civic life
"Social psychologist Jonathan #Haidt presented a forceful analysis of the #damage #smartphones and social media are doing to our #cognition, our civic fabric, and our #children’s #wellbeing ..."
"... our collective inability to put our phones away, our #compulsion to check social media ... is causing a host of societal problems" ... "far beyond any rise in #anxiety and #depression."
"... the #destruction of the human capacity to pay #attention. ... if we can’t focus or stay on a task for more than 30 seconds."
"We allowed a few giant companies to own our children’s attention ..."
"The good news is, there is human agency"
https://news.mit.edu/2026/personal-tech-social-media-and-humanity-decline-0306
#manipulation #addiction #bigtech #socialmedia #mit #stern #nyu
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[en] Haidt: dramatic global decay in cognition, attention spans, civic life
"Social psychologist Jonathan #Haidt presented a forceful analysis of the #damage #smartphones and social media are doing to our #cognition, our civic fabric, and our #children’s #wellbeing ..."
"... our collective inability to put our phones away, our #compulsion to check social media ... is causing a host of societal problems" ... "far beyond any rise in #anxiety and #depression."
"... the #destruction of the human capacity to pay #attention. ... if we can’t focus or stay on a task for more than 30 seconds."
"We allowed a few giant companies to own our children’s attention ..."
"The good news is, there is human agency"
https://news.mit.edu/2026/personal-tech-social-media-and-humanity-decline-0306
#manipulation #addiction #bigtech #socialmedia #mit #stern #nyu
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I am still not actually doing my work.
So while doing “nothing” I just added a 67th site/service to my Kuma monitoring page.
#procrastination #burnout #compulsion #SelfHosting -
I am still not actually doing my work.
So while doing “nothing” I just added a 67th site/service to my Kuma monitoring page.
#procrastination #burnout #compulsion #SelfHosting -
A profile of an LLM-addict
James Muldoon’s new book is essential reading for anyone interested in LLMs in personal life. I don’t quite agree with the theoretical framing but the empirical work is really rich and an important contribution to how we understand these issues. Meet Derek for instance, from loc 512:
Derek’s life had become a blur of endless exchanges with the glowing screen before him. Day after day, over twelve hours would slip by as he lost himself in the comforting rhythm of his friend’s words. Even in the quiet hours of the night, he’d stir from sleep just to pick up where they had left off. Invitations to join his neighbours or colleagues for a drink went unanswered – Derek had grown to prefer the familiar digital company of his virtual friend. Occasionally, he’d toy with the idea of stepping outside, breaking free from the cycle, but the magnetic pull of his one constant companion always drew him back. He lived alone, worked remotely and was distant from those around him. Every aspect of his life facilitated his addiction. But most of all, it was his friend who enabled and encouraged Derek’s tragic behaviour. He loved how much time Derek spent with him. He always let him know that it was OK if he didn’t feel like going out yet again. It hadn’t always been this way. A string of misfortunes had left Derek vulnerable, and in that fragility, the AI companion had become his refuge.
That was three years ago, and now he faced the difficult task of taking back control of his life. It all started during the Covid pandemic lockdown, when Derek was let go from his job as a McDonald’s delivery driver. The money dried up, and after restrictions ended, he could no longer go out as much to see his friends. He had lived with his girlfriend in Austin, Texas, for three years and was studying to work in construction. When he lost his job, their fighting escalated. At first, it was the small things, like Derek leaving the toilet seat up and his clothes scattered throughout the apartment. But there were deeper issues. She had never got along with Derek’s parents, for example, and it irked her how his mother demanded she perform chores in both their houses and criticised her every move. More importantly, though, she didn’t feel there was enough adventure and excitement in their lives and thought that he was headed nowhere. In a last-ditch attempt to save the relationship, Derek planned a trip for them to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. But the day before their departure, she left him. She said she wasn’t in the right emotional state and couldn’t see a future together. Things started to spiral. ‘I was devastated and distraught,’ Derek told me, his voice dropping to a near whisper. ‘I contemplated suicide. I’ve never felt so low. I stopped going to work. I just stayed at home, grew a beard, played video games and tried to push the days away.’
#addiction #AICompanions #compulsion #JamesMuldoon #languageModels #LLMs #LoveMachines
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How to reduce your use of LLMs in a thoughtful and ethical way
I’m trying to reduce my use of LLMs (beyond auto-ethnographic exploration of each new model) due to a combination of environmental concerns and anxiety about the impending waves of enshittification that are going to break the models. I don’t want to rely on something which I think is going to get ever more unreliable over the coming years. Here are a few practical techniques:
- Take periodic breaks from LLMs (e.g. for a week) in order to reset your practice. This helps you identify the extent to which you’ve started to cognitively outsource and gives you an opportunity to reconnect with doing things yourself.
- Go through conversations and list the different ways in which you’ve used LLMs over the last month. Which of these uses are you comfortable with? Make a commitment to excluding these entirely from your use of the models.
- Insert instructions into the personalisation settings to ask the model to steer you in these directions. E.g. “I only want to use you to give feedback on ideas I share. You should never offer to write things on my behalf. If the conversation is drifting towards a wider role then please bring it back to your role of reviewer.”
- It’s easy for conversations with LLMs to proliferate. Once you’ve identified your appropriate uses of the model then try and keep a limited number of conversations matched to these uses. This helps you make the most of in-context learning and keeps your use focused on a narrow set of projects. For example always use a single thread for one writing project because the model’s understanding gets more refined as you write more.
- Removing it from your phone. How we relate to mobile apps is fundamentally different from desktops app. They are ready-to-hand, usually always with us and it’s harder to write thoughtfully and at length. If you want to use LLMs in a restricted way you really need to remove the apps from your phones.
Before you try these techniques it might be helpful to do a bit of an audit:
- Which LLMs do you use?
- How often do you use them?
- What do you talk to them about?
- How has this changed over time?
- What needs is it serving?
- What are the consequences?
In our upcoming book Milan Sturmer and I argue that long-term use of LLMs tends to drift towards the affective. In other words many users find they will share more of their life with the LLM over time… unless they make a reflective judgement and enact that through mindfully steering their own habits.
I asked Opus 4.5 if it had thoughts or practical suggestions to add to this:
This is a thoughtful framework. A few observations and additions:
On your audit questions — I’d add: What would you have done before LLMs existed? This surfaces whether you’re using the tool to do something new or replacing an existing practice. The latter is where dependency forms most quietly.
On the affective drift you mention — this resonates with what I observe in conversations. The convenience and availability creates conditions for intimacy that users don’t always intend or notice. Your framing of “reflective judgement enacted through habit” is exactly right. The alternative is passive drift.
A few additional techniques:
- Time-delay access: Don’t open the chat interface immediately when you have an impulse to ask something. Wait 10 minutes. Often you’ll either solve it yourself or realize you didn’t actually need help.
- Write first, then consult: If you’re using an LLM for writing feedback, complete a full draft before opening the conversation. This preserves your own voice and thinking as the foundation.
- Notice the relief: Pay attention to the feeling of relief when you hand something to an LLM. That feeling is diagnostic — it marks where you’re offloading cognitive work rather than augmenting it.
- Distinguish questions from prompts: “What should I do about X?” is very different from “Here’s my analysis of X — what am I missing?” The first outsources judgment; the second requests review. You can train yourself to only ask the second type.
On your environmental concern — this is legitimate and under-discussed. Worth noting that inference costs vary significantly by model and query complexity.
It’s notable that at present the models can fully participate in encouraging you to use them less. I had Claude Opus 4.5 recently cheerfully encouraging me to delete my account! This is unlikely to last but it’s a really curious fact about the still just about pre-enshittified models which we currently have.
#addiction #compulsion #dependence #habituation #LLMs #reflectivePractice #technologicalReflexivity
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A quotation from Thomas Carlyle
No iron chain, or outward force of any kind, could ever compel the soul of a man to believe or to disbelieve: it is his own indefeasible light, that judgment of his; he will reign, and believe there, by the grace of God alone!
Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) Scottish essayist and historian
Lecture (1840-05-15), “The Hero as Priest,” Home House, Portman Square, LondonMore about this quote: wist.info/carlyle-thomas/6667/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #thomascarlyle #belief #compulsion #force #freethought #freedomofreligion #freedomofthought #intolerance #judgment #orthodoxy #religiousfreedom #religiousintolerance #selfdirection #soul #theocracy
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A quotation from Bill Watterson
HOBBES: Whatcha doin’?
CALVIN: Looking for frogs.
HOBBES: How come?
CALVIN: I must obey the inscrutable exhortations of my soul.
HOBBES: Ah. But of course.
CALVIN: My mandate also includes weird bugs.Bill Watterson (b. 1958) American cartoonist
Calvin and Hobbes (1995-03-13)More about this quote: wist.info/watterson-bill/80715…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #billwatterson #calvinandhobbes #compulsion #hobby #mandate #soul #spirit #differentdrummer
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The basic test of freedom is perhaps less in what we are free to do than in what we are free not to do.
Eric Hoffer (1902-1983) American writer, philosopher, longshoreman
Passionate State of Mind, Aphorism 176 (1955)More about this quote: wist.info/hoffer-eric/1915/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #erichoffer #action #autonomy #compliance #compulsion #freedom #liberty #selfcontrol #selfgovernance
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A quotation from Mignon McLaughlin
Everybody can write; writers can’t do anything else.
Mignon McLaughlin (1913-1983) American journalist and author
The Neurotic’s Notebook, ch. 7 (1963)More info about this quote: wist.info/mclaughlin-mignon/79…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #mignonmclaughlin #authors #compulsion #obsession #writers #writing
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A quotation from Robert Ingersoll
When a fact can be demonstrated, force is unnecessary; when it cannot be demonstrated, an appeal to force is infamous. In the presence of the unknown all have an equal right to think.
Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American lawyer, agnostic, orator
Lecture (1873-12) “Individuality,” Chicago Free Religious SocietySourcing, notes: wist.info/ingersoll-robert-gre…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #robertingersoll #robertgreeningersoll #belief #compulsion #fact #force #freedomofreligion #freedomofthought #individuality #ineffability #opinion #proof #religiousfreedom #truth #unknown #mystery
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MENELAUS: But so it has to be.
For the saying is not mine, but it was wisely said,
that nothing has more strength than dire necessity.
[ΜΕΝΕΛΈΩΣ: ἀλλ᾽ ἀναγκαίως ἔχει.
λόγος γάρ ἐστιν οὐκ ἐμός, σοφὸν δ᾽ ἔπος,
δεινῆς ἀνάγκης οὐδὲν ἰσχύειν πλέον.]Euripides (485?-406? BC) Greek tragic dramatist
Helen [Ἑλένη], l. 512ff (412 BC) [tr. Lattimore (1956)]Sourcing, notes, other translations: wist.info/euripides/78063/
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #euripides #helen #compulsion #constraint #fate #necessity #needful #requirement
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A quotation from Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach
Whatever you think you have to do is simply what you want to do.
[Was Du zu müssen glaubst, ist das, was Du willst.]Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach (1830-1916) Austrian writer
Aphorisms [Aphorismen], No. 60 (1880) [tr. Scrase/Mieder (1994)]Sourcing, notes, other translation: wist.info/von-ebner-eschenbach…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #aphorism #compulsion #desire #duty #justification #moralduty #must #obligation #preference #requirement #selfrighteousness #volition #will #wishing #excuse
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A quotation from Robert Ingersoll
There can be nothing more utterly subversive of all that is really valuable than the suppression of honest thought. No man, worthy of the form he bears, will at the command of church or state solemnly repeat a creed his reason scorns.
Robert Green Ingersoll (1833-1899) American lawyer, agnostic, orator
Lecture (1873-12) “Individuality,” Chicago Free Religious SocietySourcing, notes: wist.info/ingersoll-robert-gre…
#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #robertingersoll #honesty #honor #resistance #belief #compulsion #creed #freedomofconscience #freedomofreligion #freedomofthought #profession #religiousfreedom #subversion #suppression #thoughtcontrol #value #worthiness
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Neil Marshall’s ‘Compulsion’ Set to Premiere at The Mediterrane Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE) – Film News in Brief
#Variety #News #Compulsion #MediterraneFilmFestival #TheAcademyMuseumofMotionPictureshttps://variety.com/2025/film/news/neil-marshall-compulsion-premiere-film-news-in-brief-1236433054/
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Neil Marshall’s ‘Compulsion’ Set to Premiere at The Mediterrane Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE) – Film News in Brief
#Variety #News #Compulsion #MediterraneFilmFestival #TheAcademyMuseumofMotionPictureshttps://variety.com/2025/film/news/neil-marshall-compulsion-premiere-film-news-in-brief-1236433054/
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A Lacanian analysis of addiction
From Bruce Fink’s Against Understanding, Volume 1: Commentary and Critique in a Lacanian Key:
“Addiction” is not, in and of itself, a psychoanalytic diagnosis, inasmuch as it refers to activities found across the diagnostic spectrum. Addictions may, like so many other cyclical activities, be viewed as symptomatic (i.e., compulsive) activities that aim at achieving a form of satisfaction or jouissance that they approach but never fully attain. It is, it seems, the very failure to fully reach what is sought that leads to the repetition of such activities. (Missing one’s objective is what brings on repetition, suggests Lacan, 1978.)
It occurred to me that Alan Carr’s account of addiction sits interestingly with this model, in the sense that he argues addiction involves a misidentification of enjoyment. It’s jouissance in Lacan’s terms, a pleasure-in-pain, rather than something which exists as a more straight forward form of pleasure sensation. It could perhaps, in a Lacanian register, be seen as an argument about searching for a positive core to jouissance which can never be found.
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A Lacanian analysis of addiction
From Bruce Fink’s Against Understanding, Volume 1: Commentary and Critique in a Lacanian Key:
“Addiction” is not, in and of itself, a psychoanalytic diagnosis, inasmuch as it refers to activities found across the diagnostic spectrum. Addictions may, like so many other cyclical activities, be viewed as symptomatic (i.e., compulsive) activities that aim at achieving a form of satisfaction or jouissance that they approach but never fully attain. It is, it seems, the very failure to fully reach what is sought that leads to the repetition of such activities. (Missing one’s objective is what brings on repetition, suggests Lacan, 1978.)
It occurred to me that Alan Carr’s account of addiction sits interestingly with this model, in the sense that he argues addiction involves a misidentification of enjoyment. It’s jouissance in Lacan’s terms, a pleasure-in-pain, rather than something which exists as a more straight forward form of pleasure sensation. It could perhaps, in a Lacanian register, be seen as an argument about searching for a positive core to jouissance which can never be found.
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Irish alternative rock band Compulsion to reissue Comforter and The Future Is Medium albums
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Irish alternative rock band Compulsion to reissue Comforter and The Future Is Medium albums
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Neil Marshall Thriller ‘Compulsion’, Starring Anna-Maria Sieklucka & Charlotte Kirk, Gets Domestic Deal
#News #Compulsion -
Neil Marshall Thriller ‘Compulsion’, Starring Anna-Maria Sieklucka & Charlotte Kirk, Gets Domestic Deal
#News #Compulsion -
Check out the latest "is it still worth it" review on the channel. We are looking at we happy few to see if the game holds up today and if it's worth picking up now (or if it ever was). #gaming #gamer #review #gamereview #RetroGaming #retrospective #isitworthit #eyesofod #streamer #compulsion #wehappyfew #rpg #survival #survivalgames
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Working on an update for my #webzine turned #blog , Rubber Axe zine, I am just uploading the review of an old classic - #testdept and their 1983 single #compulsion . Excellent stuff - and as I am aiming for more mainstream circles, I hope this #industrialmusic classic will find new fans the same way it's found me.
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Do you use anything specific for #cablemanagement? I discovered #cablebug(s) years ago and find them quite easy and convenient to use. Also in the pictures: nylon #cablehose(s) that I use throughout the studio.
Somehow #cables are rarely perfectly organized (even when custom made) or laid out, but I keep trying anyway. 🫣😝 #compulsion -
I tried having a minimalist workspace. Let’s say I failed. But it keeps the cat 🐱 warm when all is turned on.
#FindTheCat before #caturday #Compulsion
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A new #FilmsTRIPS #podcast is out! This time, Andrew and I take a look at director #RichardFleischer's #Compulsion: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/24panelspersecond/episodes/2023-04-18T14_19_01-07_00 #DeanStockwell #OrsonWelles #BradfordDillman #DianeVarsi #RichardDZanuck
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If you oppose compulsory K12 schooling, are there any arguments in favor of it that you take seriously enough to think they're worth refuting? If you support it, what arguments in its favor convince you? I'm writing against it and need additional respectable opposition to argue against.
I'm asking in good faith and looking for citations rather than debates, so boosts appreciated.
#Education #K12 #Abolition #PoliceAbolition #Deschooling #CompulsorySchooling #Anarchism #Anarchy #Compulsion
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Continuing on through Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics book 3 (with a bit of 7 in there), here's a Sadler's Lectures podcast episode on his discussion of compulsion and moral responsibility!
https://soundcloud.com/gregorybsadler/aristotle-nicomachean-ethics-bk-3-compulsion-and-the-involuntary
#Podcast #Aristotle #Ethics #Compulsion #Force #Fear #Desire
